Andy Murray has outlasted qualifier Taro Daniel 1-6 6-2 6-4 in the first round of Indian Wells to grab his 700th ATP victory.
“It does mean a lot to me because I know how difficult it’s been, certainly the last few years,” Murray said, referring to numerous injuries and a bout with COVID-19.
“When you look at the players that have done it, most of the players that are up there and have won that many matches are certainly the best players of the last sort of 30, 40 years.”
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Murray is one of just four active ATP players to have notched 700 wins, along with Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic.
Andre Agassi and Pete Sampras are among the other tennis greats to have hit the milestone.
Murray, who received a wild card into the desert tournament, twice came from behind in a match that last nearly two hours.
He overcame a 1-3 deficit in the third set, winning five of the final six games.
“There were points in the match where I did play pretty well,” Murray said.
“But there’s also times in the match where it was poor. I really need to try and find that consistency.”
Murray broke Daniel to tie the third set at three all.
The 34-year-old Scottish star led 40-love in the last game before closing it out on his third match point.
It was their third meeting this year.
Ranked 106th, Daniel had won at the Australian Open.
Murray, who is 88th in the world, had won in Doha last month.
Murray has never won an Indian Wells title. His best finish came in 2009, when he lost to Nadal in the final. He was a semi-finalist in 2007 and 2015, losing to Djokovic both times.